Route from Sydney to Darwin (Qantas)

[lurker999]

picked mum up at Darwin last night from QF846.

she asked me why the route had changed. Obviously I have NFI.

So looking tonight QF846 has tracked from Syd to just south of Coonabarabran, over Walgett to east of Cloncurry and then turned left maybe 50kms north of Cloncurry tracking to Darwin. This i'm told is the track from last night

whereas J* are flying the same pair, their track is the one I'm familiar with, Syd, over Narromine, turn right over Nyngan, and track to Darwin from there.

weather? boredom, so lets try something new?, traffic? shorter?

Thanks.

PS She only knows this because she got a new fangled 738 with seat back IFE.

[blueloo]

Usually the flight planning computer (with dispatcher input) just optimises the route based on winds etc.

...but it may have been something else like restricted airspace - I don't know what timing difference there is with the jetstar flt. - so if they left at the same time it probably wouldnt have been this.

....lastly the aircraft may have been dispatched with an m.e.l. restricting certain route operations. (ie flt in icing conditions) necessitating a different route based on forecast weather.

[Capt Claret]

Favourable winds I'd guess. I can recall one flight years ago, paxing back to DRW from either SYD or BNE, we tracked somewhere west of Townsville and then across the Gulf to DRW.

[lurker999]

the flights are 1 hr apart.

the aircraft last night was a change because the original aircraft had problems.

and this is two days in a row, so the chances of both 738s having problems are remote? no?

[compressor stall]

100kt jet stream over south QLD on the sigwx. Looks Ike QF headed more north to cross it then turned left and went to DN with less headwind.

[lurker999]

thanks

wonder why J* didn't?

[nitpicker330]

What you need it spelled out!! :D

[fanning]

Qantas (QF) #846 ? 01-May-2013 ? YSSY / SYD - YPDN / DRW Flight Tracker ? FlightAware (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA846/history/20130501/0940Z/YSSY/YPDN)

I assume this is an error?

Qantas (QF) #846 ? 28-Apr-2013 ? YSSY / SYD - YPDN / DRW Flight Tracker ? FlightAware (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA846/history/20130428/0940Z/YSSY/YPDN)

[Capn Bloggs]

No error, diversion to show AYQ to all the new EK pax...

[Capt Claret]

Somebody wanted to see Poeppel Corner from the air? :\

[compressor stall]

Never. Can't imagine having the HEMA maps on the ipad in the flight deck over the GAFA with a pair of gyro stab binocs looking for tracks for the next 4wd adventure eh Claret?

[Capt Claret]

Who?

Me? :}

[Capt Fathom]

I've been to Poeppel Corner. There is nothing to see. :uhoh:

[compressor stall]

Been studying the Madigan Line carefully on the BHI -TNK track. Dreaming. :p

[Capt Claret]

I've been to Poeppel Corner. There is nothing to see. :uhoh:

So have I, you must've had yer eyes closed. :p;):ouch:

[puff]

Is JQ dispatch still done in the Phillipines ?

[Ted Nugent]

Is JQ dispatch still done in the Phillipines ?

Flight plans still come from downtown Manila.

[lk978]

For the journo's reading this:


"Pilot's get lost"

Qantas pilot's last night actually got lost on a flight. luckily there was a private pilot on the aircraft that had his hand held gps to save the day. He also provided support to the crew on how the fly the plane. Shagged the cart tart too, the cart tart said he was the best he has ever had.